Leaving the Ashes Behind
by theAnGerFlarE
Summary: Loki is under the control and demands of Thanos once more. With the God of Death looming dangerously over the horizon, the Avengers have a new initiative: Attempt to save Loki or watch as Earth is destroyed. As always, Nick Fury has a plan- one that involves a dark and dangerous hero. The Avengers assemble once more, teaming together to destroy the evil that threatens the Earth.
1. Return of the Tesseract

The strange readings were back once again. Fear was starting to spread. Slowly, but surely.

SHIELD had been obsessing over those data changes for two weeks, every available scientist working constantly to trace the strange energy. Each result was compared to every known substance to mankind: plutonium, uranium, nuclear radiations and so on. Frustratingly enough, nothing even close to those readings were found. Stranger still, the fluctuations in energy continued. Even Banner was called in to do some research against the strange readings.

The agents were starting to panic. Nothing this close had ever been found except for...

But it was impossible. It was in Asgard, far away from Earth.

After weeks of slowly trudging through endless data numbers, SHIELD was able locate the source of that energy in the city of Paris, France.

Natasha Romanov looked through her files and papers while drinking a cup of coffee, her perfectly manicured fingers tapping against the porcelain mug. She sat in a small cafe in Paris, acting as though she was a normal civilian instead of a trained assassin waiting for her next target to walk in. Her eyes glanced up at the doorway every few minutes, watching the French people walk by.

Her eyes scanned the neatly typed leaflets in front of her. Every paper was the same bullshit she had read through the night before, the papers smudged with her fingertips and the ink blurring from the countless times she had looked over it.

How many times had she read over her damn mission papers, trying to remember every detail and objective? Every action she took could be her last, every thought and breath that she breathed would mean the end of her life. One mistake would compromise the entire mission.

And the Black Widow wasn't foolish enough to be careless.

Fury had given her specific instructions before she had left the SHIELD base: _Don't get yourself killed, and come back with the source of that fucking energy, Romanov. I'm counting on you. _

She really wished that Fury would go on his own missions sometimes, instead of sending her out to do it. She had better things to do in her time than to sit around and watch scumbags mope around, planning their world domination or revenge. It wasn't as though any of them could actually DO it.

Natasha put her coffee down and closed the folder, tossing it disgustedly into her bag. She looked down at her cold croissant in distaste, not hungry in the slightest.

"What do you mean you _lost it?" _

Natasha's ears honed in on the voice almost immediately, her attention suddenly back and sharp as ever. She took another sip of her lukewarm coffee and stared down at her table, seeming to be lost in interest rather than eavesdropping.

It was two men, walking into the cafe. The two of them took a seat in the booth near her, sliding roughly into the leather seats with a grunt and quietly ordering some coffee. From what Natasha could see out of the corner of her eye, both men were nicely dressed, their suits prim and proper. But they had a scowl on their face that meant they weren't none too pleased.

Their expressions were written so clearly on their faces that Natasha could read them like a book.

"I didn't lose it." one of the men snapped. "But the thing is out of control. I can't control it. And believe me when I say that I've tried."

"Bullshit. You lost it. Or maybe you gave it away to some scientists, you bastard."

"No, I didn't! Aren't you listening to me? The thing is bloody nuts. We shouldn't be toying with it anymore, or else we're going to end up dead."

_Dead. _Natasha's mind was whirring quickly, a thousand thoughts in her head. It could be a countless amount of things: ranging from nuclear weapons to mere little dirt-bombs. What were they planning? Natasha picked at her cold croissant a little, tapping her finger against her coffee mug.

"You're just being a wuss. The thing is plenty safe to toy with, and when we build that nucleotransformer ray with it, we shall be millionaires!" There was the sound of someone slurping their coffee, and then a cough. "We'll be more famous than that ignorant American, Stark."

Natasha almost scoffed at that. _Good luck. _

The other man paused and made a small whiny noise, fiddling with what sounded like silverware. "Then you play with it. I don't want to touch it. Besides, if the feds get a whiff of it-"

"They _won't._" the man said exasperatingly. Then he leaned in closer, nearly whispering his words. "Take me to it, then. I have the module for the transformer in my car, and we can start the initial project. Then the world will beg to know our secrets."

Natasha took a sip of her coffee once again as the two men got up from their booth and moved out the door, the small bell ringing as they left. She waited a few moments, waiting for the dust to settle before she picked up her own little bag and got up, moving silently towards the glass door.

Even with the blinding sun in her eyes, Natasha calmly took her sunglasses from her little bag and put them on her face. It didn't take her long to spot the two figures bobbing down the street, their heads occasionally ducking out of sight before popping back up again. Natasha followed them silently, following close enough so that she wouldn't lose them, but not so close that they would find out that the same woman had been around them since the cafe.

Before she could reach one of them though, the two men had ducked into their car, the tires squealing as they shot down the street.

_You had to make this difficult, didn't you? _Natasha grit her teeth as she hopped onto her own little motorcycle, one of Stark's gadgets that allowed her vehicle to come whenever she commanded it to. She appreciated Stark's gift; barely. It started with a soft grumble, and she went down the street after them, trailing behind a good-sized distance.

After a few minutes of turning down cobblestone corners and waiting aimlessly at the stupid little stop lights, she had lost them. Their large black car had blended in with the rest of traffic.

Natasha pressed a button on the small dash of the motorcycle, and spoke into it softly. "Black Honda, two white males in the car. Trace the energy signature."

Just like that, Natasha could see the little GPS on the dash light up. There was a small arrow pointing down the street, and then it curved into a corner and disappeared from view. She revved her bike and was riding again, this time following the little red arrow as it led her to her targets. As she had hoped, the GPS had picked up on the strange energy signature that she was hunting, the signal growing invariably stronger each second that passed by.

She was close to it.

Just as she had expected, she saw the black Honda sitting on the curb in front of a large building. A large sign stood in the middle of the parking lot of the warehouse, one that was rundown with age and weather. The entire street was deserted, as though no car or person had been through the area in centuries. It was like a ghost town. Natasha squinted as she tried to read the sign that announced what the building was.

_**Proctor and Gamble: Biotechnology Equipment and Laboratories **_

With a small humph, Natasha parked her motorcycle and stalked off to the entrance. So, a science building, hm? It would be the perfect place to tinker with new-found energies, to test their weapon.

She touched the door handle and tried to turn it, but it was locked shut. With a scowl she simply went back down the steps and off to the side, where it was hidden from the road. Number one rule of the Assassin world: Never give anyone an opportunity to see you. She thought of this mantra as she scaled the crumbled wall, sliding the window open with some difficultly. The glass was broken, and it shattered a bit as she shoved the frame upward, but it was quiet enough to not draw attention. She slipped through and landed on the floor silently, like a cat jumping from a ledge.

She looked around her and saw abandoned tables, broken lab equipment, and scattered pieces of paper that littered the floor. The room was empty for the most part, although she spotted a few rats skittering across the broken glass and papers, looking for food.

Natasha crinkled her nose and crept out into the hallway, listening intently for any sounds. She knew that the two men were in the building.

There was the sound of footsteps above her head, the ceiling moving along with each steps. Little flakes of paint came floating down, and Natasha scuttled silently into the hallway as she followed the noise.

Two pairs of feet. Decidedly heavy enough to be male. There weren't any voices, but from the obvious stomping around and loud noises of tables being pushed out of the way, the two men had found themselves a quiet place to work. Here, they would be alone to play with whatever toy they had found.

Natasha slowly crept up the stairs, keeping care not to make noise, or to let her feet slip against the concrete steps. She was silent, like a shadow. Her hands didn't touch the walls or the rails, and even her breathing was quiet. The top of her head peered from the wall of the stairway, and she could see the two men bent over a table, their suitcases open and papers scattered on the lab benches.

She narrowed her eyes as one of the men dipped his hands into the open suitcase, his fingers clutched around something small and blue. The light radiated between his fingers, and even in the daylight she could see the rays shining on the concrete ground. There was a soft _clunk _as the man set down the object and mused to the other one softly, his voice inaudible and garbled.

Enough was enough.

Natasha slid out silently, her gun drawn. Only the soft click of her cocking the gun was heard, and the two men spun around instantly, their own pistols in their hands at the intrusion. As they glared at her and then stared in disbelief, Natasha felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. They were surprised, weren't they? No doubt they hadn't expected a woman to be behind them.

"Hello." Natasha said in a sweet voice, her fingers calm as it rested against the trigger. Her demeanor never wavered. "Get down on the ground now, boys."

One of the men scoffed, looking at the other man with complete and utter frustration. "You told me that no one knew about this, you idiot!" His gaze leveled back to Natasha, cold. "Look, lady. I don't know who you are, or what you want, but I ain't doin-"

A swift kick in the jaw ended his little speech mid-sentence. Natasha spun easily on the heel of her foot, watching as the man fell heavily to the ground and holding his jaw in pain. A little pathetic trickle of blood came from his mouth, pooling down the corner of his hand. The useless pistol that he had held so threateningly in his hand had skittered across the concrete, hitting the wall with a quiet patter. Eyes wide, he spat and glared at her, obvious hatred gleaming in those cloudy eyes.

The other man who was unharmed just stared at her with utter fear. Not as brave as his comrade, it appeared.

"Get down on the ground." Natasha said smoothly, repeating her words. She blinked slowly, as though she was bored with the entire thing. "Or I'll make sure you end up like your little friend here."

"Hey-" the man said sharply, his voice lowered down in a growl. Natasha merely kicked him in the jaw again; not a hair out of place as she resumed her eye contact on the other trembling bastard in front of her.

He looked as though he was going to piss himself. The pistol in his hand was shaking so hard that if he shot, it would go anywhere but her. Natasha quirked her eyebrow.

"W-what do you want?" The man stuttered. His eyes looked at Natasha and then down at his defeated comrade, then back up to Natasha once more. "This don't concern ya! I p-promise!"

"Actually, this does. You have property that doesn't belong to you, and I'm here to get it back." Natasha put down her gun and merely walked towards the table and the man, her eyes cold. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor now, echoing around the room. She was merely inches from the scared man now, and the other one on the floor didn't dare move. The glowing on the table got her attention.

It looked suspiciously like..

An arm came flying towards her face.

Natasha ducked with lightning reflexes, barely missing the limb by an inch. Her own arm came up behind the man to push him forwards, her legs sliding out underneath his own and knocking him to the ground chest-first. The man let out a pained shriek for help, but Natasha merely slammed the heel of her foot into the base of his neck. The screams stopped.

The man with the broken jaw stared at her with renewed fear. Then, anger took it's place as he realized what she had done. Pain forgotten, he got to his feet and rushed forwards, his hands outreached to strangle her little throat.

Natasha merely felt her gun slip into her nimble fingers. The trigger went off with a small little _bang_, and the man slumped to his knees, blood moving down his forehead. His eyes rolled up as if to see the wound, and then he fell to the floor with a loud and wet thump. There was no sound anymore; just two bodies lying on the ground, utterly lifeless.

Tucking her gun back into her belt, Natasha turned to the table. Amiss the scattered laboratory papers and the scribbly handwriting was the object she had been searching for. She could barely believe her eyes as she stared at it. It hadn't been that long since she had last seen it, but she remembered how desperately she had hoped she would never see it again.

The last time SHIELD had it in their grasp, it nearly caused the end of the world. Captain America himself had recovered the thing from the ocean, and the God of Thunder had taken it away to his realm, where it was out of reach. Thousands of people died; all because of a God with a ferocious temper and a stupid helmet.

The Tesseract. It lay in front of her, looking harmless. But it was pulsing with power, the blue glowing dangerously against the white papers.

With slightly shaking hands, Natasha picked up the Tesseract and placed it back into it's suitcase, the object latching securely against the grey foam. The lid was pushed on the top and the suitcase was firmly gripped together. She held onto the handle and moved away from the table. It was surprisingly heavy for a little blue cube.

She moved around the bodies with careful steps, taking care not to step into the pools of blood. Her heels clicked down the stairs seamlessly, and she pushed her way out of the building, the doors creaking open from months of unuse. Her motorcycle was still perched on the curb.

With a small little smile, Natasha perched her new suitcase on the side of her cycle and hopped onto it, turning the key in the ignition. As the machine roared to life and she rode away, she couldn't help but watch the Proctor and Gamble building slowly disappear from view. With the two scumbags that she had just offed.

Natasha sighed as soon as she couldn't see the building anymore. A heavy feeling of dread replaced the feeling of elation at the success of her mission. She was currently carrying the most dangerous item in the entire universe; one that would decide the future of SHIELD and possibly Earth itself. She slowly took her finger and pressed it to the little Bluetooth device attached to her ear.

She was almost relieved to hear Fury's voice, nearly immediately after the dial tone. "Romanov. Report?"

"Mission successful, sir." Natasha said curtly, gazing at the French view and the hazy caramel sky. "Although, we have a little problem. It seems as though those readings were worse than we had thought. The Tesseract, Fury. It's back."

There was a long, nearly pregnant pause. "You've gotta be kidding me. Tell me this isn't a joke, Romanov."

"I wish." Natasha turned the corner and sped down the nearly abandoned road. She knew that a SHIELD jet would be awaiting her shortly. "I tracked down these two idiots who thought they would be the next Tony Stark. They planned to make a nucleotransformer ray."

"Idiots are everywhere. Regardless, the Tesseract is safe with you?"

"Affirmative." Natasha confirmed. She slowed the motorcycle down and stopped at the end of the abandoned road. "It's safe. For now, anyway."

There was another long pause, and then a sigh. Natasha felt like returning the gesture.

"For now isn't good enough. Come back to base. We'll discuss it then."

Natasha crooked her head as though he could see her. "Who's we?"

"The Avengers Initiative, of course. I haven't forgotten about it. I'll see you soon."

There was a dial-tone, an indication that Fury had hung up. With a soft sigh, Natasha looked at the suitcase hanging on the side of her motorcycle with distaste. She couldn't help but envision the horrible war they had in New York; one complete with the Chitauri and a certain God, standing on top of the Stark Tower with a look of utter triumph on his face.

Natasha scowled. No: Not again.

This time, they would be prepared.


	2. Disillusioned Plans

As Natasha stepped onto the floor of the helicarrier for the first time since the New York incident, she felt a small sense of dread and relief flood her gut. The jet that had carried her back to base powered down, and Agents flooded to the jet to take it back to storage until they needed it again. She was used to the chaotic bustle of SHIELD's base, and to be honest, she had missed it. The suitcase was clutched tightly in her hands as she walked to the white doors of the base. They slid open silently.

The inside of the building was anything but silent, though. There were some small smiles directed her way. Natasha smiled thinly back at them, tossing her red hair across her shoulders a bit. The Agents at SHIELD respected her, thankfully. They weren't unfriendly in the slightest. She had missed this part too- she had always enjoyed being a part of something, instead of being forced into it. Everyone here was the same: everyone had the same ledger.

She spied Maria Hill looking intently into a computer, her fingers typing frantically on the keyboard. The brunette only looked up for a moment, but the second she and Natasha's eyes met, she smiled widely. As she excused herself from her station, Maria clicked on her Bluetooth and nearly ran towards Natasha, embracing her in a light and shallow hug.

"Agent Romanov." Maria said, a hint of a smile in her voice. Her brown eyes were light. She looked exactly the same as Natasha remembered: brown hair pulled back in a tight bun and her sharp face softened by a grin. "You've made it. I was starting to think that you bailed on us."

Natasha pulled back and gave her a genuine little smile. Maria was the one person she had missed the most. The female spy was easygoing once you got to know her, and despite her fierce reputation as a spy (which was true, to say the least), Maria was the least judgmental person Natasha had ever met. Besides Barton, Maria had a few gentle secrets in which she hid from her job. One of them was that she adored kittens with all her heart. She knew that Maria had a few pictures of kittens stashed in her private bunker, and even a little stuffed cat that she slept with when the missions got too intense.

"I was considering it." Natasha said lightly, letting a small chuckle leave her lips. She tapped on the suitcase with one finger, her light joke dissipating and her smile dissolving. Maria's smile also dropped off her face as she stared at it, her eyes growing wide. The both of them seemed to know what the other one was thinking, but Natasha lowered her voice to talk to her anyway. "Has Fury told you anything?"

"No." Maria shook her head lightly, her eyes shifting from the suitcase. "You know how it is with him. He's ordered me to keep quiet, and that everything is confidential until further notice. Not only that, but I have a few calls to make under orders. A few of them aren't.. quite within our reach."

Natasha raised her eyebrow suspiciously, knowing exactly what Maria was referring to. "Don't tell me you have to attempt to get Thor from Asgard. The last time I saw him, he was busy taking Loki back to their home. It's not like it's within reach, Hill."

"I'm aware of this. It's a good thing Thor told me a few ways to talk to him from here." Maria's faint smile returned, the warm gleam in her eyes back. She cocked her head respectively. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go out and scream at the sky for a bit. Thor told me to talk to someone named Heimdall. Don't give me _that_ look, Romanov, I know what I'm doing."

A grin crooked at the corner of Natasha's mouth. "I'll be with Fury. You know where to find me."

"Of course," Maria patted her on the shoulder once before she walked past, moving towards the doors that lead outside. Natasha stifled a small chuckle as she turned herself and walked down the busy hall, moving towards Fury's office on the third floor.

She couldn't help but be amused by Thor's way of communicating with SHIELD from Asgard.

He had told Natasha the same thing before he had left with Loki, his large hand resting gently against her shoulder in an intimate warrior embrace. It didn't bother her in the slightest that he treated her as though she was another warrior on the battlefield (that's what Thor called everything: a battlefield). In fact, it only made her feel better. Thor had told her about another female warrior on Asgard who was evidently strikingly similar to her. She recalled him saying, _'If you were to ever meet her, I have a feeling that you two would associate as friends quickly'. _

And, of course, Thor made it very clear that if anyone was to talk to him from Earth to Asgard; they would have to address him through a man named Heimdall. He was all the All-Seer; whatever that meant. Natasha wasn't too knowledgeable about Norse mythology, and she didn't exactly have time on her hands to learn.

Perhaps she would sit down with a book sometime and just read about it. It might be interesting enough.

Natasha waited quietly in the elevator, listening to the hum of the machine as it went upwards. Even the machinery here moved with efficiency, yet nothing was purely silent. It was too busy around SHIELD for anything to be quiet: the soft chatter of Agents talking, the soft buzz of the computers, and the hiss of the occasional coffeepot making caffeinated drinks for everyone. She leaned against the wall of the elevator, letting the cool metal sink through her thin clothing. She could still smell the French perfume on her skin.

The elevator opened with a soft ding and she stepped out, the suitcase swinging softly against her leg. She could see Fury's office on the very edge of the brightly lit hallway, the entire third floor nearly emptied of people. There were a few janitors cleaning the floors to the right as she walked by them, and she offered a small smile as she passed by.

They didn't return the smile.

Natasha knocked lightly on Fury's door, her hand tightening on the handle of the suitcase. There was a gruff voice from the other side. "Come in."

The door opened quietly and Natasha stepped into the small room, closing it behind her with a quiet little latch. Fury looked at her condescendingly from his desk, his one good eye staring at her expectantly. She held up the suitcase silently and watched as his face grew more interested. He leaned forwards as she placed the suitcase on his desk, making sure not to slam it down.

Fury looked at her once more before slowly unlatching the suitcase. A blue glow immediately shined through the cracks, spilling onto his desk like a creepy flashlight. He looked at Natasha with a grim expression.

"So. You weren't lying." he said dryly, closing the suitcase back up. He ignored Natasha's look of utter indignance and continued, leaning back in his chair stiffly. "The damn thing is back on Earth, even after we had given it to a God."

Natasha shrugged half-heartedly, taking a seat in one of his chairs. "At least it didn't land in the ocean this time. It was in the hands of these two idiots who thought they were going to be the next Iron-Man. They didn't know what it was, thankfully, but they knew what it could do."

Fury sighed, looking as though he starting to contemplate retirement. Not that she could blame him. "They're the least of our worries. If the Tesseract escaped the Asgardian's grasp, what else do you think managed to get away from them?"

A small flutter of dread curled into her stomach like a snake, carefully twisting around in anxiety. There weren't many things that made Natasha nervous, but this made her pale from panic. She stared at Fury with narrowed eyes, knowing that her expression was plainly written on her face. And Fury stared at her with the same expression; the both of them sharing an equal amount of fear for the future of their world.

"Loki." Natasha said quietly, unsure if she even wanted to utter his name. She could still hear his quiet chuckle in the back of her mind, his crazed blue eyes staring at her through the glass cell in SHIELD. Loki was the man who would kill without a moment of hesitation, sly and sneaking around his enemies like a treacherous snake. As she met with Fury's eye she knew that he was thinking the same thing.

And her thoughts were confirmed.

"Yes, Loki." Fury muttered, clasping his hands on his desk. "Even with the Avengers Initiative, we'd get our asses kicked to the curb this time. I'm having Agent Hill go attempt to talk to Thor right now, through whatever freaky alien thing he goes through."

"All I know is that we can't afford another attack on Earth." Natasha hissed firmly, her hands clutched on the edge of Fury's desk. "If the Tesseract gets out of our hands this time, it'll have catastrophic consequences. You heard what Thor said last time. There are other worlds out there, other universes. Or.. ahem, other _realms. _And we're giving off the impression that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"Which we're not." Fury said hotly, nearly cutting her off before she could finish. "That's the last thing we need right now. New York is still recovering."

Natasha rested her hands on the suitcase, leaning up towards Fury with a scowl on her face. "Exactly. So what do you propose to do?"

There was a long pause before Fury moved. He was concentrating deeply, staring at his desk with his one eye as though it contained all of his answers. Natasha waited patiently for him to say something. Her mind was brimming with questions that she wanted to be answered instantly, although she knew that it was impossible. In fact, she hated these silences where she knew that Fury was thinking hard and long about what he was going to do next. If she had to, Natasha would just find out for herself what she wanted to know.

But after a few more seconds of terse silence, Fury spoke. "I didn't want it to come down to this, but I guess it'll have to."

"Come down to what?" she suspiciously crooked up her eyebrow.

Fury stared at her condescendingly for a moment, and she slowly slid her hands off of the suitcase and back into her lap. She watched as Fury pushed himself back in his chair and open one of his drawers, rummaging through them. Natasha could hear the sounds of papers shuffling as he searched for a file. Soon after a moment, he tossed a file onto his desk and pushed it towards Natasha, his mouth in a grim line.

She looked at it with distaste. It was a thin, lightweight file. The creamy file paper was browned with old age, and even had a ring of of coffee from a mug that had been placed onto it. It looked as though it was so old that it would break when she touched it. Sure enough, as soon as she had it in between her hands, a part of the paper crumbled off in her hands and floated down into her lap, crusty and thin. With a grimace, she looked at Fury, who merely gestured towards it.

The file opened easily enough, a puff of old file aroma coming from it. Natasha crinkled her nose a bit at it, but looked through it anyway. She looked up at Fury, placing it onto the desk. "This is from the Stone Age, Fury. Is this a joke?"

"As much as I wish it was, it isn't." Fury adjusted himself more comfortably in his chair. "Read the file, Romanov."

Natasha scoffed, but she did as he said. Her eyes read over the fine print.

_**Aislin (Last Name Unknown) **_

_**Gender: Female**_

_**Alias: (Unknown) **_

_**Age: Exact Age Unknown; estimated at 20-25 years old**_

_**Birthplace: (Unknown)**_

_**SHIELD Agent of 1944. Trained in martial arts and form. Filed under the term: Superhero. Page four. **_

"Superhero?" Natasha said aloud, looking up at Fury, her eyes narrowed. "Fury, no offense, but whoever this girl was is long gone by now. And none of us are technically classified as superheros."

"Who says she's dead?" Fury quipped with a faint trace of a smile. He pointed to the file again. "Go further in the file."

Rolling her eyes, she turned until she got to page four, the papers crinkling in her hands. The browned paper crunched against her smooth fingertips, threatening to break off.

**_Classified Under 'Superhero'_**

**_Superhero: Person(s) with paranormal abilities and strengths, often leading them to be inhuman in nature. Abilities range from mere super-strength to other events such as flying, heat, and other elemental anomalies. Be warned- person(s) with said abilities can be hot-tempered or volatile. Proceed with caution. _**

_**Superhero: Aislin, SHIELD Agent of 1944**_

_**Abilities and Strengths: Able to defy gravity and quantum physics/ Ability to harness nuclear radiation without harm/Strength far more than a normal human female at her age**_

_**Condition: Dangerous and Unstable **_

"Okay..." Natasha said quietly, looking up from the file. The more she read into it, the more she felt like she was reading some kind of comic book. Ironically, it sounded like something from Thor's world- with the flying and the ability to handle radiation. It was nothing human; unless you were the Hulk. She stared at Fury and nearly scowled at the small little amused grin on his face. "So I've read a file about an unstable Agent in the beginning of SHIELD. She's still alive?"

"Yep." Fury leaned forwards and tapped his finger on the suitcase. "She is."

Natasha set the old file down on the desk, sighing. "That's not possible, Fury. She'd be ancient. No human, no matter what their powers are, has been able to live past a century. Even Cap and I will die off eventually."

"I highly doubt this girl is human." Fury mused, taking the file away and putting it back into his drawer. "I think she's from the same world as Thor; where the people there live long lives. It wouldn't be a stretch to think that she landed on Earth all those years ago."

She stayed silent, merely huffing quietly.

"Look- there's a way out of this mess without it getting too bloody. I don't think we have a choice." Fury stated. He looked exhausted- more than normal. "But she's our last resort."

Natasha looked at the suitcase with the Tesseract in it. "So you're willing to bring back someone who's been deemed dangerous and unstable? Even as a last resort, that seems desperate."

Fury chuckled darkly at her, his face a grim mix of amusement and fear. It was a look at Natasha recognized, and she immediately clamped her mouth shut. She felt a pang of guilt for bringing that up, but she couldn't take it back. The truth was, in whole honesty, that they _were _desperate. If Loki was to come back that very day with his stupid scepter and his massive alien army, they would indeed be desperate. It wouldn't even be possible for the Avengers to get all of their supplies together. Their entire world would settle on that one, far-fetched idea of a superhero from another time.

A superhero that they knew nothing about. But Natasha had a feeling that Fury knew much more than he was leading on.

"Desperate or not, it's all we have." Fury stood up and took the suitcase, holding it tightly in his hand. "I'm putting all my trust into the Avenger's Initiative, Romanov, and you know that. It wouldn't hurt to have something to back us up, in case things go south."

Natasha turned in her seat to face Fury, on the edge of the seat. Her hands were resting placidly in her lap, showing the impression of concealed anger. "No, I understand." she said stiffly. Her facade was calm, smooth. "You need a backup in case we fail."

Fury sighed as he stared at Romanov, the two of them looking at each other as though they were in a fierce mental argument. The look on Fury's face reminded Natasha of a father scolding a daughter. It was oddly amusing, really. Natasha pursed her lips together and stood up smoothly, brushing her hands neatly against her black leather pants. Her eyes were narrowed a bit, her rage obvious, but a sweet look laced on her face.

"You know exactly that this is the best for the world." Fury said calmly, unmoved by her. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was necessary. You tell the other Avengers when they get here. I'm holding a meeting tomorrow morning, and I need everyone there. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Romanov. Get the Hawk to come out from his nest, too."

"Very well." Natasha said curtly. She brushed past him and the suitcase, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. She could hear Fury's exhausted sigh behind her, but she didn't look back.

It was stupid of her to be angry, really.

She pressed the button on the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. There was a sharp stinging deep in her chest. She couldn't help but be insulted by Fury's plans.

It was a humiliating blow to the Avengers reputation; as though they didn't have a bad enough rep already. Stark was a raging alcoholic and a narcissist, his relationship with Pepper Potts unstable and threatening to explode. Steve Rogers was the golden boy of the old American age- an age that had long since died ever since the 90's. Thor was a literal alien who had no grasp of Earthen culture and threw his hammer whenever he got angry. Banner had anger issues that threatened to take out cities, and Barton was mildly obsessed with arrows and circus tricks. And herself?

Well, she was guilty of the murder of innocent people. Her ledger was dripping red, absolutely soaked in the lives of children and women, their screams forever wrapped in the depths of her mind. Escaping it was impossible, she knew.

Natasha waited as the elevator opened up. She slowly clicked on her Bluetooth, waiting for the dial tone to go through.

Unfortunately, she caught Barton's voice-mail. It sounded stupid, as always.

"Barton, it's Nat. I don't know if Fury has told you yet, but we have a meeting with him tomorrow. Actually.. it's an Avengers meeting. He's going to try and get the Avengers Initiative back together. The Tesseract is back. And there's a sneaking suspicion that Loki will be too."

She paused, unsure how to continue. No doubt Barton would be barreling through those doors tomorrow, absolutely furious that the Tesseract was back and that there was a possibility off Loki's reappearance. Natasha looked to the side and sighed, looking down at the seamless floors.

"Call me back. Or I'll see you tomorrow." Natasha hung up, clicking on the Bluetooth once. Her mouth was set in a grim line.

Despite what she thought about Fury's disillusioned plans, she still had to respect them. It was time to go back to her private bunker and get some rest, and prepare for the next day.


	3. Not of Asgardian Blood

Natasha had been right about one thing: Barton had crashed through the doors the next day, his face blazing red with fury and an arrow already sheathed in his quiver, looking as though he was ready to take on whatever enemy that faced him. Natasha just stared at him dimly with a dull expression, shaking her head at his idiocy. She offered him a small smile nonetheless, as a gesture of good faith.

"Hey, Clint-" she said good-naturally, but Barton cut her off rudely, nearly spitting with absolute anger.

"Do you want to explain what the _fuck _the Tesseract is doing back here?" he snapped, glaring at Fury as though the entire situation was his fault. A fist was clenched tightly, the arrow being squeezed in his palm and the wood bending dangerously. "Do you know what the hell this _means? Do you!?" _

Fury looked as though he was entirely unamused, his arms crossed. His mouth was set in a firm line, his stare dark. "Yes, I'm very well aware. Now why don't you calm down before I make you, Barton? Take a seat with the rest of your team and shut your damned mouth."

Barton looked at Natasha for a split second before he tore his eyes away, angrily stomping into the next room where the rest of the Avengers were. Natasha was left staring at the swinging doors, where she knew the rest of her team was, where she knew that her world was about to shift forever. It was an unsettling feeling.

She felt Fury's eye staring at her intently, unblinking.

"I know what you want to say." Natasha said quietly, smoothing down the front of her black suit. "That this is the best for the world. That the Council is going to want some backup. That Thor is even going to agree." She paused, choosing her next words as carefully as she could. "But I'm saying that this is a mistake. This entire thing will end in chaos, and if Loki _does _decide to come back, he'll win this time."

There was a long sigh from behind her. And then, "Get inside, Romanov. We have a lot to discuss."

Natasha silently followed his orders, the doors swinging open silently. Her angry silence spoke a thousand words, but it wasn't as though Fury cared. The Agent was following close behind her, his loud sigh ringing through the tense room.

The table set in the middle of the conference room was filled. Each chair was filled with someone. But even though there were people in the room, the air was stuffy and it was utterly silent. There wasn't any arguing, no bickering, no sassy commentary from anyone. Natasha slowly took a seat next to Barton, the chair settling beneath her weight. Barton avoided her gaze; he kept fiddling with an arrow in his hands, the wood splinters shredding slowly in his lap like toothpicks.

In fact, everyone wore the same expression as Barton did.

Steve Rogers, known as the famous Captain America, looked like a wet puppy. Natasha had been on missions with him quite frequently after the incident with Loki, and it was safe to say that they were good acquaintances. Perhaps even bordering on friendship. The Captain was a good-hearted man, and he got things done when he needed to. It looked as though he wasn't too eager to see the Tesseract once again. Or face a certain helmet-horned god.

Banner was quiet, as always. He looked as though he wanted to melt into the floor and disappear. He looked at Natasha for a moment and gave her a brief ghost of a smile before gazing back down at the table. Tony was just staring down at the table with him, looking more defeated than Natasha had ever seen him.

It was almost unsettling. Tony Stark wasn't supposed to look as though he was on the verge of crying. Where was the narcissistic asshole that Natasha grew to tolerate? She concentrated on Stark for a moment, trying to read his downcast face, trying to see what was going on through his head. There was a split second where Tony reached over and patted Banner on the shoulder, as if to assure him, before going silently back to the table.

Even Thor was quiet. Thor, still dressed from Asgard, was staring off into space in deep thought. His cloudy blue eyes seemed filled with uncertainty, his jawline tense and tight with focus. His hammer lay simply on the table in front of him.

Fury walked into the room and everyone looked up, their eyes snapping at attention as the Director slowly strode in. The only sound in the room was slowly steady footsteps making their way to the center of the room, slowly moving across the podium centered to the floor. Natasha settled back in her chair and gripped her arms, her fingers digging into her skin. Yes, she was anxious. And she didn't like it.

Seconds seemed like hours.

But finally, Fury spoke. "The Avengers. The team of misfits. The people that no one thought could save the world. But here we are, a year later, the world still safe and sound as it was. It seems as though Earth needs us once more; our abilities will be put the ultimate test. As you all know, or _should _know, the Tesseract was found. It was supposed to be in Asgard, far away from us, but I guess Planet Earth is irresistible."

Thor shifted guiltily in his seat.

"And with the Tesseract, we know that Loki won't be far behind." Fury continued, ignoring Thor's guilty expression. "If Loki's going to come back a second time, then he's going to come back prepared. It means a bigger army, advanced weapons, and whatever the hell Loki is capable of. We-"

"Get to the damned point, Fury. I have a hair appointment." Tony snapped, rubbing his chin.

Fury glared at Tony, his good eye squinting. "Shut it, Stark. I'll keep you here as long as I'd like. Hell, I'll keep you for a couple weeks, if I feel like it."

Tony looked as though he was going to say something else, but remained quiet. Natasha couldn't help but notice the angry twitch in his jaw.

"We can't risk simply waiting for the attack to happen. There's a plan to defeat Loki, once and for all." Fury continued stonily, as though Tony hadn't interrupted him. "Agent Romanov has been updated, but the rest of you are still clueless. What we have, Avengers, is another member."

There was quiet and uncomfortable shifting in chairs, soft coughs, stares of surprise, and Tony's jaw slowly hung open as though he was stuck in mid-sentence. Natasha sighed quietly and leaned back in her chair. There wasn't any use in arguing with Fury anymore. He had his mind set on this plan, as though it would work. She just scanned around the room, unable to help but feel satisfied at the looks of absolute astonishment on everyone's faces.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked after a moment, his voice level and calm as usual. "Has she been an Agent of SHIELD for a long time?"

Fury made a snorting noise and tossed the old, crumpled file onto the table. "You could say that."

Natasha kept her mouth shut.

"I don't see why we need a new member." Banner said softly, looking at the others. "We did fine with ourselves."

Tony shrugged, his shoulders slowly sloping upwards. "We demolished most of New York in the process, and we destroyed my Tower, but you know. We did fine."

There was the sound of quiet shuffling as Steve looked through the files, the paper coming to dust in his large hands. The Captain looked up at Fury with a cross look on his face, his lips pressed tightly together as he pushed the file away. Everyone sat silently, waiting for Steve to say something.

"You've got to be kidding me." he finally said, the words coming in an exasperated sigh.

Fury cocked his eyebrow and gave him a small smile, with a shake of his head. "Do I look like a sensible joker?"

"He's not joking." Natasha said dully, her arms folded in front of her. "I read the entire file. If he's correct, then maybe we've had aliens even longer than we realized."

"Aliens?" Tony interjected. "You mean like Thor?"

Thor glowered dangerously, his fist slamming into the table with a loud bang. "I do not appreciate such insults, comrade. Keep your mouth tethered if you will."

"Calm down, Point-Break. It was just a question." Tony put up his hands in surrender, slowly moving away from the table. His eyes glided over to Fury, slowly settling his hands back down onto the table. "But am I right, Fury?"

"Unfortunately." Fury glowered. Everyone quieted down, including Thor; who sat in his chair with his back upright and tense, hanging onto Fury's every last word. "It's a young woman who was a SHIELD agent in 1944. We don't know her age, and she went by the name of Aislin. As far as I know, there was never a full name acquired. A lot of her abilities were shocking and exceeded scientific advances at the time, but now I have reason to believe she's from the same world Thor came from."

"You mean Asgard?" Thor asked sullenly, his large hands slowly leafing through the brittle blue eyes flickered over the papers briefly before looking back up, clouded with concern. He shook his head once, gesturing to the papers lying on the table. "I am regrettable to say that her name falls on deaf ears. This is not of Asgardian blood. She is from another realm, for I do not recognize her abilities. Perhaps Muspelheim, or Svarthelhiem."

Barton's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Can you repeat those names?"

"Where is she?" Banner asked. Natasha gave a curt nod of agreement.

The file, now closed, slid back towards Fury. He stopped it with his hand and looked at them, his one good eye piercing at them. "She disappeared shortly after the start of the Captain America serum. The SHIELD GPS she had installed in her suit shut down shortly after she dropped off the radar, and we lost her for years. Until now," he paused, slowly sweeping the file back in his hands. "Her GPS turned on a few months ago. I couldn't believe it, I thought I had finally lost it."

"You lost it a while ago." Tony muttered.

"_Stark._" Steve sighed.

"Wait." Barton interjected, in which Natasha felt a little bit of relief. "If this girl could fly, why would she stay on Earth for all those years? And how did anyone dismiss the fact that she's a billion years old?"

Natasha snorted a little at his exaggeration. "Hardly a billion, Clint. More like a thousand."

Everyone else muttered in question, shuffling quietly and coughing quietly. Fury gave them a grim smile, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I guess we'll just have to ask her ourselves."

"Since we have her SHIELD GPS signal, I suppose we can just track her down that way." Natasha offered, taking out a small hand-held device and putting on the table. "I guess the only question left is: who's going to go get her? We should go get her quietly, and come back without a commotion."

Steve gave her a small smile. "She's right. I nominate Stark."

"I nominate Thor." Tony offered darkly, glaring at Steve before rubbing his chin and heaving a loud sigh.

"I think Thor would be better, personally." Banner said, adjusting his glasses. "If she's really not from Earth, than maybe she'd relate to him better. Or better- maybe she would recognize his name or something. I'm not really sure how Asgard works."

Thor gave him a consoling smile. "You are making valiant effort, my friend."

Barton looked at Thor and shrugged. "Yeah, Thor. Let's go with him."

Fury cocked his eyebrows, his mouth crooked to the side in a grim smile. "Are you up for it, Thor?"

"Aye." Thor smiled and nodded slightly. "I am ready for this quest. When shall I leave?"

"That depends: when do you think Loki will get here?" Fury countered, his face an expressionless mask.

There was a moment of silence, and then a grim shadow crossed Thor's face. "Let us leave at once."

"I thought you might say that."

* * *

_AN: _

_Please review. _

_Also- those of you who have read this story before: please don't spoil it in the comments. There's a lot of the story that I'm rewriting, but some of plot has remained the same. I want everyone to enjoy this story for what it will be, and for the effort I'm putting into it. _

_And I know that some people don't like OC characters, because many of them fall flat. Please don't hesitate to let me know if any aspect of my story fails to meet character requirements, or if my OC is Mary Sueish. _

_That's all for now. Thank you for the followers I've gotten, and please drop a comment or two. Or five. Or ten. :)_

_xXGoddessofMischief_


	4. The Quest for a Hero

_Thor 2: The Dark World spoilers ahead._

* * *

"Oh, Loki..."

Thor slowly pulled on his boots, staring at his own reflection in the mirror as he slowly buckled the leather straps, seeing nothing but a sad pathetic little boy instead of the Great and Mighty Thor. Disgusted, he curled his lip. Pitiful. He was nothing but a mere child again, quavering in fear. His blue eyes held nothing but pity, and he could see that his jaw was tightly clenched; so tight that the veins on his neck popped through the skin. He sighed and leaned back, settling into the uncomfortable leather couch that SHIELD offered. Mijolnr sat dutifully by his feet, but he didn't have the heart to pick it up.

He knew that the fear he felt in his heart wasn't from the anticipation of the battle ahead. It was, and it seemed to be the same reason recently, because of Loki.

His brother.

"Oh, Loki..." he murmured again, rubbing his face with his hands and giving a small sigh. The last time he had seen his brother was in Asgard; Loki was tightly wound in chains and even put on a muzzle, his green eyes glaring at Thor expectantly, and his shoulders taunt and tense. He reminded Thor of a trapped animal in a corner, so taunt and quiet, but ready to strike at a moments notice. He remembered watching Loki being escorted back to the Asgardian prisons, trying too hard to be emotionless and strong when all he felt was guilt and inner turmoil.

The look on Loki's face as he left the palace was one filled with utter fury, softly pulsing underneath a thin veil of fear. There was no doubt in Thor's mind that his brother was already thinking, the gears in his great mind churning with new ideas. Even as he visited Loki in prison, he knew that his brother was planning something.

But damn it all, Thor still believed that there was something good left in Loki. That's why he had escaped with Loki to Svartalfaheim to fight the Dark Elves; not only did Thor need his help and his sorcery, but he wanted to see if there was anything left in Loki that was worthy of saving. And there was: he watched Loki protect Jane. He watched as Loki nearly sacrificed himself to save _him. _And he watched in slow motion as Loki was stabbed by one of the Elves, the sword slamming through Loki's armor and into his body with a sick crunch. He remembered, like it was yesterday, holding Loki's body and trying to very hard not to cry on the battlefield, holding what he thought was his brother's dead body.

But apparently not, because Loki was still alive. And planning another attack on Earth in an attempt to gain the Tesseract, and rule Midgard as his own. He hadn't given up that poisonous dream, not even with all the catastrophic results in the end.

Thor had never understood Loki's intentions, and he sure as hell didn't understand them now.

He grunted and stood up, feeling his cape fall and his the back of his ankles. Slowly picking up Mijolnr, he grasped at the leather handle and strapped it to his belt. Thor barely noticed the blonde strands of hair falling in front of his face, slowly picking up his feet as though they weighed a thousand pounds.

What would happen to Loki if he failed to comply with Thanos's needs? The God of Death was one of the most feared conquerors of the realms; murdering innocent lives and taking what he wished when he wanted it. He had plenty of allies to aid him in his toxic dreams of taking over the universe: so why did he choose Loki? Why had he chosen his brother, out of all the cunning and villainous creatures that lived? His sweet and intelligent brother, whom used to be filled with such warmth.

Thor closed the door behind him and strode into the hall. SHIELD agents gave him a courteous nod before they moved out of his way, some of them daring to give him a smile.

He returned their smiles with one of his own. Mortals were so much different than Asgardians. They didn't treat him like a Prince. They treated him as one of their own, with surprising ability to adapt to different beings.

But his smile soon faded as he stepped outside, the silent sliding glass doors swooshing closed behind him. The air outside was cool and dark clouds had gathered around the Helicarrier, beckoning Thor to join the skies. Sir Fury had given him the instructions to go and retrieve the mysterious hero, and to bring her back safely. It was up to him to carry out his quest correctly, and he'd be damned if he failed.

Thor was determined to succeed. He wasn't going to give in so easily, not when Loki's life lay on the line.

"Why are you hesitating?"

Thor turned around slowly, a soft chuckle escaping from his lips. The Black Widow was much more silent than any of the other Avengers. Her stealth could easily match Sif's. She stared back at him with dark eyes, her red hair moving a little bit with the wind. She leaned against the wall, casually slipping her hands into the pockets of her pants. "Well?" she said again, when he hadn't answered. "You've been standing there for a few minutes. Are you sure you want to go?"

"I am sure." Thor answered quietly. "I was merely thinking, is all. There is much worry about with Loki. I don't know whether he truly meant to do the damage he's done."

There was a dark flash in Natasha's eyes. "He's a criminal, Thor. We have to remember that."

"He is my brother first." Thor said firmly, returning the stare. "There is good in him."

She scoffed and adjusted her pose on the wall, crossing her arms firmly across her chest. "I get it, Thor. Really, I do. But some people can't be saved. And you saw what he did to Earth the last time. All the people that he killed, manipulated, just to get his way. I don't think Thanos is entirely to blame for that."

Thor remained quiet. The winds slowly picked up, and the hum of the aircraft sent vibrations through the soles of his feet. Natasha was right, of course. But there was a part of him that wouldn't ever give up on Loki. If there was a chance to save him, than he would take it. It didn't matter if everyone had already given up on him: Heimdall, Sif, everyone on Midgard, even their father...

"I'm sorry." Natasha said suddenly, and Thor felt her small hand on his arm. "I shouldn't have said that. Look, just come back safely."

"I plan to make a safe return, with both myself and the girl in tow." Thor offered her a forgiving smile. "I am sure she will give us aid. It's for a good cause, aye?"

Natasha nodded. "Yeah." Her lips pressed together for a moment before she added a small 'aye', and his smile got a bit bigger. She always tried to make him feel at home on Earth. He appreciated the small gesture.

With a gentle squeeze of her shoulder, Thor slowly grasped Mijolnr in the palm of his hand, letting the heavy hammer drop so that he held nothing but the leather loop. With a slow swing that slowly gained speed, Thor watched as the dark clouds around them got darker, heavier with rain and lightning. The wind whipped around them, dangerously jostling the Helicarrier to the side. His feet moved instinctively, jumping off the edge into the air, letting Mijolnr carry him through the skies.

He had missed this.

* * *

A buzzing in his ear caught his attention. Flying through the skies for long periods of time always allowed him to expand his mind to think. The only thing on Thor's mind was Loki. Loki running through the forest as a child, carrying a treasure in his hands that he had retrieved from the ponds. Loki at his royal ceremony, dressed entirely in the Asgardian armor, looking happy for Thor, but harboring something underneath his cool facade. Loki, standing on the top of the STARK Tower, his cape blowing in the wind as he stared down at the destruction he had caused, the look on his face a mix of both satisfaction and horror.

Loki. The son of Laufey, his brother, the next heir to Asgard. Someone whom he had trusted his entire life.

The buzzing caught Thor's attention again, and with a free hand, he tentatively pressed the button. He was unused to Midgardian technology. It was painstakingly simple to use, but intricately complicated on the inside. There were always so many buttons.

"Big swing. You hear me?" Stark's voice rang loudly through the other side.

"I do." Thor answered. He kept his eyes focused on the skies ahead of him. Nothing but grey wisps of clouds and the occasional spot of green from the ground below.

"Hey, listen. We're tracking you right now, and you're about to fly over the land where the girl's located. Fury's paranoid that her signal is going to disappear at any second, so make this fast. Do you have the GPS on you?"

Thor let Mijolnr swing him towards the ground, watching the trees and hard ground rush up towards him. He landed on his feet with a few stumbled steps, his legs feeling weak from the flight. Sliding Mijolnr back onto his belt, he grabbed another small device attached to his armor- one that had a small little red light located on it. "I still have the device. Her signal is not lost, comrade. I shall find her swiftly, and bring her back."

"Yeah, yeah. If you need us to call a jet, let me know. I'll be sitting here at your beckoning command."

"I do appreciate it, Stark." Thor said sincerely. There was nothing but a scoff on the other side.

The GPS made a small beeping sound, and he directed his attention towards it. It was time to do what he came here to do: find the girl and take her back to SHIELD.

Brushing aside leaves and twigs, Thor stepped directly into what looked like a dense forest. It reminded him of the ones back in Asgard, thick with foliage and brush, with many small creatures that dwelled underneath the canopy. With only the small beeping GPS as his company, he made his way on a small path, branches crunching underneath his feet. Mijolnr dangled against his leg, bumping into the branches with a small dull thump.

He racked his brain for a moment, trying to remember the girl's name. How else would he address her when he found her? Aislin, wasn't it? Her name was on the file, faded on the parchment. Something about her disturbed him a bit, making him feel uneasy. Not many from Asgard had ever gone to Midgard unnoticed. Heimdall would surely notice their disappearance. No sorcery, save for Loki's, had escaped his keen eye. Thor knew that Odin himself had been to Earth many times, but had always returned with prizes and treasures to lavish on his children.

So where had this girl come from? Mortals on Earth had a very short lifespan, while many of the other realms had much longer timelines. Many mortals also didn't possess the ability of flight. Thor felt uneasy about the thought of the girl being from a separate realm from Asgard. A warrior from Jotunheim? Muspelheim? Svartalfahiem? Or perhaps from another dark place entirely?

There was no breeze anymore. The forest air was absolutely still. The GPS beeped a bit louder, an indicator that he was getting closer. The tiny red dot was flashing now.

Thor stopped in his tracks, pausing against a tree. The area around him was flush with dim sunlight, the leaves absorbing the last of the golden rays of the evening. It was still warm out, but it wouldn't be for long. It would be dark, and Thor would be alone in the forest with only the annoying noise of the GPS for company. He sighed and moved on, sprinting quickly through the narrow trees. There wasn't much time to admire the quiet nature of Midgard.

The noise got louder, the beeping sped up a bit faster. With the grit of his teeth, Thor grabbed Mijolnr's handle and swung it in front of him, hitting the base of a tree. The bark splintered and broke away, crumbling instantly from the heavy blow. As Thor moved away from the tree, he could hear the explosive crash of the fall behind him, rattling the ground and everything around him.

He had missed this. Just running. Even if he was moving towards a goal, he had longed to stretch his legs like this. Thor was running at full speed, crashing through the brush without much blocking his way. His trustful Mijolnr was in his grasp, glowing from use.

Then he realized that the beeping of the GPS had stopped. How long ago had it been silent?

Thor quickly stopped himself, nearly tripping over his feet. He looked around him. It looked exactly like the rest of the forest; dark, silent, and filled with dim sunlight. He glanced at the small little GPS SHIELD had given him, looking for the familiar red dot that had led him to that spot. But there was nothing. The screen was blank, as though it was off. He pressed the button, in an attempt to turn it on again.

Nothing.

With a frustrated huff, he threw it to the ground. That was another problem with Midgardian things. They often broke.

Thor ran fingers through his hair and leaned against another tree. What was he supposed to do now? The girl could be anywhere now. He would never find her. Finding his way back to the Helicarrier would be easy enough in the day, but certainly not during nightfall.

And nightfall, it seemed, was well on it's way. The golden sunlight that had illuminated the plants was now fading, casting a shadow on the forest floor. The quiet murmurs of the forest were almost silent now, the occasional chirp of insects echoing through the trees. Thor sighed silently. Perhaps he would have to spend the night in the forest before he would embark on finding the girl. Certainly he couldn't see her through the dark.

He had almost made his mind to sit down and rest when he heard a quiet rustling in the brush. Muscles tense, Thor leaned against the tree, his heart pounding in his ears. The rustling sounded like an animal, scrounging in the dirt.

Then it stopped, and the forest fell silent.

Thor relaxed, but only a little bit. He still felt on high alert. His instinct told him that something was wrong, terribly wrong, but he couldn't place his finger on it. He was stuck in a strange foreign place, and every noise seemed to amplify itself.

_Do not be so cowardly as to run. _He told himself. _You have your strength. You have Mijolnr. You have- _

Something heavy struck him in the face. Thor felt the back of his head slam into the heavy trunk of the tree, pain exploding through the back of his skull to his eyes. With a ragged yell, he swung his fist forwards. And to his surprise, he hit something that felt hard and rough against his skin of his hand. He opened his eyes and rushed forwards, dismissing the dizzy and blurred landscape around him.

There was a small, muffled noise from underneath him, attacking with painful blows to his face and hands. Thor growled and reached for Mijolnr, trustfully dangling against his leg. The moment his hand wrapped around the handle, he brought it up and slammed it down.

To his dismay, it had only hit the ground. There was a small crater in where the hammer had drove into the dirt.

He jerked his head upwards and looked around him. It was night now, the forest around him shrouded in darkness. All he could hear was the wind blowing through the trees, and the quiet rustling of his assailant. He hoped that he had deterred them enough for them to leave him alone. He was no in mood for games.

There was a small blue light a few feet away from him, glowing dimly against the darkness. Thor squinted his eyes and stared at it for a second, confused as to what the light was. It grew bigger, the light getting brighter. A deep, rich turquoise color swirled in the small orb. It swallowed him, drawing him closer with the whispers of promise and power, luring him with sweet nothings. Thor blinked, unsure why he wanted to get closer to the light, why he wanted to touch it.

"By the Norns..." he had realized what it was, much too late. It was Tesseract energy.

It shot at him, and he felt nothing but an intense burning pain in his entire chest, spreading through his body like fire. As he lay on the cold ground surrounded by leaves and twigs, he could see the sky. There were so many stars in the sky here. It reminded him of Asgard, of his home. There were thousands of them, brightly illuminating the sky with little orbs of light. Thor blinked, unsure if he was seeing a billion stars or if he was hallucinating them. Something was touching his arm, jostling it, the familiar feeling of fingers grasped over his bicep.

He blinked, and tried to turn his head. He saw nothing but feet. Bare feet, covered in dirt and scratches. They dashed away from him before he even realized what happened.

And then everything slowly faded away, and Thor let himself drift away, with Loki's name on his lips.

* * *

_I hope everyone likes what they're reading so far. I've been making longer chapters. _

_Please review, though. It helps me with my writing. :)_


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